Grain-separator



. o. E. MQNEZAL.

(No Mbdel.)

GRAIN SEPARATOR- No. 499,468. Patented June 13,'189 3.-

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MCNEAL, OF EAST SPRINGFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

G RAIN-SEPARATORI SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 499,468, dated June 13, 1893.

Application filed October 6, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MONEAL, a citizen of the United. States, residing at East Springfield, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Separators; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

My invention consists inthe improvements in grain separators hereinafter set forth and explained, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical sectional view of my improved grain separator, the frame work for supporting the same being left 0E.

The object of my invention is to construct a grain separator consisting of a fan inclosed within the upper part of a substantially airtight chamber, which chamber is divided into a dead air chamber, a settling chamber, a vertical leg down which the grain to be separated, or cleaned, falls by gravity, and a tip or I chamber into which the air and matter removed from the grain during its passage down the said leg, pass, and from whence the air and lighter portions of the matter removed from the grain pass to the fan, from whence they are driven into the dead air chamber and the main settling chamber of the machine; from whence the air, having been largely relieved from foreign matter again passes upward through grain falling down through the leg of the machine, this operation being a continuous one.

In the construction of my invention shown in the drawing A is the main settling chamber; B the dead air chamber; 0 the passage from the main settling chamber to the lower end of the vertical leg D, and E the fan in the upper portion of the settling chamber A. From the discharge eof the fan E the outside shell F of the machine curves gradually downward toward the discharge valve 1) of the lower end of the dead air chamber B. Between the dead air chamber B and the main settling chamber A is a curved partition a,

Serial No. 407,927. (No model.)

I construct a passage 0 leading out from the upper portion of the chamber A and downward into the lower end of a vertical leg D,

where a hopper shaped receptacle H isformed thereby to receive the grain falling through the leg D, and from which it is discharged by a rotary valve h at the bottom thereof. In the side of this leg D, I make a spout I provided with a rotary inlet valveJ through which grain to be separated is to be supplied to the vertical leg D. The upper end of the vertical leg D opens into a tip or chamberK the lower part of which is preferably hopper shaped and is provided with a rotary discharge valve is. From the upper part of the tip or chamber K a passage L leads to the inlet Z of the fan E. In the passage L, I place a valve M r for more or less closing the passage L so as to control the amount of air passing through said passage. N communicating with any suitable motive power.

In operation the fanE is set in motion, and grain is then fed to the leg D through the spout I the operation of the fan E drawing a strong current of air up through the grain falling through the leg D and conveying the light grains, dirt and dust upward therewith through the tip or chamber K, where the heaviest portions of the refuse matter fall to the bottom of the said tip or chamber, while the lighter portions of the refuse removed from the grain are carried on by the current of air into the fan E and from thence discharged against the shell F along which a portion thereof passes down "into the dead air chamber B, while the balance passes into the settling chamberA where the air is freed from the greater portion of the remainder thereof by gravity, before the air again passes out from the chamber A'through the passage 0 to the leg D; the force of the current of air up through the leg D being governed by the The fan E I drive by a belt" valve M in the passage L between the tip or chamber K and the inlet lot the fan E.

Having thus fullydescribed myinvention, so as to enable others to construct and use the same, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 15-

1. The combination in a grain separator, of asettlingchamber, afan discharging into said chamber, and a vertical leg communicating at its lower end with a passage leading from said settling chamber, with a tip or chamber communicating with the upper end of said vertical leg, and a passage from said tip or chamber leading to the inlet of the fan, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination in a grain separator comprisingasettlingohamber, a fan discharging thereinto, and a vertical leg connected at its lower end with a passage leading from said settling chamber, of a tip or chamber communicating with the upper end of saidleg, and a passage from the upper portion of said tip or chamber leading to the inlet of the fan, with a valve in said passage, between the tip and the fan inlet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in a grain separator comprising a settling chamber, a fan discharging therein, and a vertical leg communicating at its lower end with a passage from said chamber, of a tip or chamber communicating with the upper end of said leg and with the inlet to the fan, with an outlet valve at the lower end of said tip, and outlet valves at the lower ends of the upright leg, and of the settling chambers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination in a grain separator of the type herein shown and described, of a main settling chamber, as A, a leg as D, communicating at its lower end with a passage, as 0 leading from said chamber A, a tip, as K at the upper end of said leg D, a passage, as L leading from said tip K to the inlet 1 of a fan E, with a dead air chamber, as B, communicating with the upper part of the chamber A in the direction of the outlet e of the fan E, and a valve as f for partially closing the upper end of the dead air'chamber B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. MON EAL.

Witnesses:

L. ALBRACHT, J r., H. J. CURTZE. 

